<p>Hello and thanks for any advice you may have. I am considering entering the Public Humanities MA program at Brown and am interested in hearing anyone’s experiences with related departments (American Civilization, History, Anthropology, etc.).</p>
<p>(sorry, the questions are kind of specific)</p>
<p>I would especially like to hear from anyone who has taken classes from Professors S. Smulyan, Emlen, M. J. Buhle, Krech, or Kevin Smith. Is the emphasis on very specific or broader topics? Does it tend to be methods or theory? How practical is it? Are the professors easy to contact outside of class? How much of the class is devoted to discussion and how much to lecture? How exciting are the courses, and do students continue class debates outside of class? How do grad students relate to undergrads - are they integrated into the larger group, or do they congregate in one corner and tend to discuss the topics among themselves? Do they seem to be asking the same questions as the undergrads or have a different take on the material?</p>
<p>For those of you with experience at other universities (such as transfer students) how would you compare these Brown humanities departments to those at other universities? Most students say that their university is good, but I am trying to get a sense of how good this program is relative to those at other schools.</p>
<p>Last, I am trying to figure out the financial situation. I spent most of last week on campus and am still unsure of funding options. Folks said that there were many more TA opportunities for this year’s grad students than will be available in years to come, and I am trying to get a sense of how many fewer. How difficult will it be for a terminal MA student to find a TAship in a humanities/social science department during her second year? Are there specific departments other than foreign languages that often need TAs? Also, how many hours a week do proctorships and research assistantships usually require? Is it true that they also include full tuition and health insurance?</p>
<p>Thanks again for any advice on any of these topics</p>